Friday, October 31, 2008

October TNT Round 2

Bince - Aaron Green 1-0
Black's remaining minor is on the wrong side of the board when White breaks through for a mating attack.

Jim Green - Kernetsky DRAW
White was lost several times in the late middlegame - 32...Qc3+ for example.
Jim showed me the pawn ending in Fargo - but I think Black still wins after 44...e5

White to move - Can he hold the draw ?

October TNT Round 1

Swift - Bince 0-1
Black saddles White with two sets of doubled pawns. And a bad bishop.
I had a sense that White missed something while chasing the knight on the queenside, but I couldn't find anything. Well perhaps White should forget about the queenside and play to use the forward f pawn as a lever. Also key is playing a4 before Black can get it in. 34.Bxd5 probably dooms White.

Daase-Lauritson 0-1
White should have played 14. e5 with a playable game.

A. Green - Gibson 1-0
Black obtains counterplay and had the mysterious 30...Bd1! available- for example after a 'nothing move' such as 31. h4 - the point is apparent - 31...Rd2+ 32. Bxd2 Qxd2+ 33.Kb1 Bxb3 and Black wins. Incredible ! So 31. Rxd1 is forced with play for both sides.

Mandusic - Jim Green 0-1
Black wins a piece when the tactics get sharp. White had several chance to exchange knight for bishop on e6, but ultimately got his knight on d4 pinned against his queen.

Wierda - L. Gibbons 1-0
Black resigns prematurely in a slightly worse position.

Leah Green - Evans 0-1
Black plays the shot 8...Nxe4 which should be diffused by the simple 9. Nxe4 or 9. de4 and White is better. Instead, Black wins a pawn which he converts in the endgame.

September TNT Round 5

Yes, I am far behind - but I hope to catch up within the next two weeks

Van Wyk - Bince 1-0
Black allows 10. e5 and gets a miserable position. A small point, just because there is no puzzle this week, 24. Qxh6+ is a mate in 3.

Khedkar - Rutter 1-0
Black should play 9...g6 and he is fine. And 11..exf5. Even with the game lines he is ok if he plays 13...h6 instead of the piece-losing 13...Be6.

Kernetsky - Greenberg 1-0
Black gets impatient and plays 27...Nxe3, which isn't critical, but leaves the exchange hanging on the next move.

Liu - Pang 1-0
Black to protect his a-pawn played 17...a5, but he can protect it indirectly with 17...Ne4.
The c6 pawn falls, and soon the game.

Milord - Kong 0-1
I think White should have retained his black squared bishop with 22.Bg3.
31. Bxf5 is interesting, with complications.
White tries the sacrifice 34. Ne4 , but it is insufficient.

D. Wiebe - Trueman 1-0
Black equalizes when White doesn't play 10. e6. Black later blunders a bishop.

Monday, October 27, 2008

U of M Chess Club

Kane Anderson writes "I've started up a U of M chess club,
the club is free to join and
open to anyone (students, faculty, staff and otherwise).
The games are casual (clocks
optional, choose your own opponent).
University Centre main floor cafeteria
(near Tim Hortons or Subway)
We meet Thursdays at 2:30 and Fridays at 4:00.
Anyone interested can email me at chess.uofm@gmail.com"

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Manitoba wins match with Minnesota

Brian Thompson tabulates the results at 6.5-5.5 !

Here is MCA president Blair Rutter with Aron Kaptsan holding the Challenge Cup

Saturday, October 25, 2008

ThankGibbons Results

Aron Kaptsan won the top section with 4-1
followed by Jay Khedkar with 3.5

Ryne Swift and Nathan Wood shared first in the second section with 4-1

Monday, October 20, 2008

Fargo-Moorhead ChessNuts Challenge Results

Pictures up now

Aron Kaptsan tied for first !

More details and pictures later, but the crosstables are available.

Friday night speed tournament

ChessNuts Challenge Open

ChessNuts Challenge U1900

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Cecil's Saturday Puzzle - October 11, 2008

Cecil's Saturday Puzzle - October 11, 2008 from the Winnipeg Free Press
White to mate in 3 (Jokisch)

Not much time for discussion this time, but we must restrain the king for the first move in order to force a pawn to a square that will later block the king.

1. Qa8 g3 2. Qg2 e4 3.Qxg3#
1. Qa8 e4 2. Qa3 e3 3. Qxe3#
1. Qa8 e4 2. Qa3 Ke5 3. Qd6#

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Grand Prix Standings

Peter Magyar has calculated the current Grand Prix Standings:
Leaders:
A
B
C
D

Monday, October 6, 2008

September TNT Round 4

several interesting games in this round.

Bince - Lipnowski 1-0
White goes down a pawn, but finds 12. c5 was a nice move to bind up Black.
Black loses time shuffling his king, then his pieces and White wins with simple moves.

Van Wyk - Rutter DRAW
White sets up and plays 18. c5 but does not follow up with 20. cxd6 which should win easily.
21. Qd3 is also better than Qd4 as the pawn on c5 will not attack the queen.
Even so, 22. Qxf6 wins a piece. After these missed opportunities, White emerges a pawn down, but holds the draw.

Kong - Khedkar 0-1
It would appear that White lost on time in an interesting ending.

Trueman - Kernetsky 0-1
12. Re3 does not make a good impression; Black starts kicking White's pieces until he wins
material. Black missed a mate in three...
I'll let the readers find it, it's not too tough.

Pang - Aaron Green 1-0

The turning point was 18...Rxc3 ? 18...hxg6 was required and the game is still sharp with chances for both sides.
Does 20...Nxe4 21 .fe4 Bxc3 work ? No , 22. Rxh7+ Ke8 23. Qxc3


Greenberg - Ott 1-0
Black should probably play 9...dxc3. but it is not critical. But certainly 25...fe6.
27...or 28...Bxe4 looks fine.

But at the end of it all, I think Black missed a draw.


35...h6 26. h4 hxg5 27. hxg5 a5 and White can't prevent the Black king from playing Kg6 and Kxg5

Daase - Milord 0-1
Mandusic - Daniel Wiebe 0-1